VA Guide - Authorify

Providing Updates It’s a good practice to have VAs provide updates every day about the work they’ve completed. You can even use project management software for this. Ask them to sign up on Trello or Basecamp so you can communicate with them through one of those programs. Ask them to post updates each day before they clock out; you can also use email for this. The important thing is that they give you an update each day before they leave their desk. Have all your employees do this, regardless of where they are located, as it assists you in effectively managing them. The update also gives them the opportunity to tell you if they need help with anything they’re working on. Whenever a problem occurs, they should be able to tell you so you know what’s happening. It’s more important to have daily updates when you have a VA who does many different tasks for you, each of which requires clarification and input from you. You should read these updates every day and reply, so the VA can continue to work. However, assistants who just repeat the same tasks every day might not need to update you as frequently. The same goes for assistants who work in-office with you. Daily updates are important because they prove the person you hired is doing the work you want him/her to do. It’s difficult to monitor what your employees are doing every day. You can’t tell if they’re working effectively, or if they’re even working at all. Then, in a bid to find out, you might send them an email that sounds offensive. Requiring daily updates helps you avoid these problems. Treat Your Virtual Assistants Well It’s important to treat your employees well and to pay them what they’re worth. Pay them well so they are happy working for you. Give your virtual assistants some days off every year and pay them for those days. Respect their public holidays and give them a little bonus every now and then when they impress you. Understand that the people whom you hire will have feelings. They’re not machines, even if they are working for you virtually. When you treat them nicely, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the amount of goodwill, productivity, and creativity it inspires.